Slingshot Bill-part one

My name’s Bill Tinker an’ I am 12 years old at the time I’m tellin’ you about late in 19th century Texas. I can pretty much hit anythin’ with my slingshot, mostly rabbits but I can hit doves an’ pheasants on the fly too. It’s a good thing too or we’d most likely starve to death.

I lived with my ma an’ pa an’ my two sisters miles from anythin’ civilized tryin’ to scratch out a livin’. My pa failed in everything he tried includin’ farmin’ an’ ranchin’ but him an’ ma wuz never bitter an’ we wuz a fairly happy family even if we wuz dirt poor.

That happiness come to an end one day when I come home from my huntin’. Ma an’ Pa wuz layin’ face down in the dirt in front of our cabin. My twin sister Beth an’ my older sister Philomena wuz kneelin’ beside the bodies lookin’ kinda dazed. Even from where I wuz standin’ I could tell our folks wuz dead.

“What happened?” I said when I run up to them. Philomena shrugged her shoulders.

“We wuz out doin’ chores when we heard gunshots. We come runnin’ but stopped when we heard strange men’s voices an’ Ma screamin’. We wuz too scared.” I could understand that. I nodded for her to go on.

“After a while two men rode away on their horses. They wuz just plain old horses.”

“Did you see what they looked like?”

“It wuz too far away.”

“What did you see, Beth?” My twin sister had eyesight an eagle would envy.

“The horses wuz a chestnut an’ a big black. One man’s hat had a fancy hat band. That’s all except I seen that one of the horses has a notch in its shoe.” She pointed at the shoe print that I wouldn’t a noticed. Beth had a talent to see the little things but that wuzn’t goin’ to help us. For one thing, there wuzn’t no way I could chase after them galoots. We had one old swayback nag. I could walk faster than it could run.

There wuz nothing left to do but bury our folks. I dug a hole an’ we buried them together. I noticed when I wuz movin’ their bodies that both wuz shot in the chest. Ma’s dress wuz tore up to her privates so it looked like they raped her before killin’ her. I wuz shore glad my sisters wuzn’t there when those men come. I had a feelin’ I’d be buryin’ them too. Well, we buried Ma an’ Pa an’ then we all had our cries.

We went into the cabin an’ noticed everythin’ had been gone through. Pa’s Winchester Model 73 repeatin’ rifle an’ a can we kept a little money in wuz the only things taken. They wuz the only things worth takin’. The Winchester wuz for protection but Pa failed at that too. We slept poorly that night.


The next mornin’ I decided to take the girls into the nearest town of Hand Springs. Ma had a friend livin’ there who offered to take the girls in an’ introduce them into society an’ try to git them married off. Philomena wuz goin’ on 14 an’ I didn’t want no old maid on my hands. I hitched up the swayback to the buckboard an’ we started out.

We wuzn’t even half way there afore the swayback up an’ died on us. I guess the strain wuz too much for her. We’d have to walk the rest of the way. We hadn’t covered more than a mile when a rancher overtook us in his buckboard an’ offered to take us the rest of the way into town. His name wuz Mister Kincaid. I thanked Mister Kincaid mightily an’ told him he could have our buckboard in payment but he said it wuzn’t necessary an’ he’d have it hauled to his ranch so I could pick it up when I got another horse.

When we got into town we met up with Missus Brown, my ma’s friend, an’ explained the situation. Missus Brown said she wuz right sorry to hear about our folks an’ she’d be glad to take in my sisters. In payment they’d help out in the emporium her husband owned an’ ‘round the house. She didn’t offer to let me stay an’ I wouldn’t a ‘cepted even if she had. Even though there wuzn’t nothin’ to go back to, big towns make me feel sorta cramped. There had to be nigh onto a thousand people livin’ there. Besides, I wanted to try to make sumthin’ out of the place our folks died tryin’ to protect or they wuz dead for nothin’.

I stayed the night an’ thanked Missus Brown for her hospitality. I set out for home on foot. It took most of the day to git to the fork in the road leadin’ to my cabin. I wuz sittin’ down to rest when I heard gunshots an’ a woman screamin’. It wuzn’t far an’ I sneaked up careful like to see what wuz goin on.

I saw a wagon an’ two mules. A colored man wuz layin’ on the ground bleedin’ bad an’ this colored gal wuz bein’ tied up by two men but I couldn’t see much else ‘cause their horses wuz in the way. I likened it to what happened to my folks an’ got all riled up but I had more sense than to go up against two armed hombres with just a slingshot an’ a skinnin’ knife.

I took a couple of pebbles an’ hit the horses on their rumps with my slingshot real quick like. Naturally the horses got spooked an’ took off runnin’. The two men cursed mightily an’ took out after ‘em. That’s when I saw one galoot had a fancy hatband. Could it be? One horse wuz a chestnut an’ the other a black. I sneaked up to where the horses had stood an’ studied their tracks. One had a shoe print that matched the one at the cabin. Those two galoots wuz goin’ to die even if I had to die doin’ it.

The colored man wuz dead when I checked him. I approached the gal an’ she shied away when I pulled my knife but it wuz only to cut the rope which had her tied to the wagon wheel. That’s when I seen two colored girls ‘bout my age tied back to back. I cut them loose too.

“He’s dead, ain’t he,” said the gal.

“I’m sorry but he is ma’am. Now you got to do what I say or you an’ your youngns is gonna be the same way.” She nodded. I sent ‘em down a hidden dirt path that none but me an’ my sisters knowed about. It eventually led to the cabin. I set up my ambush for the two galoots.

The stones I had layin’ ‘round wuz good for small game but they wuzn’t gonna kill no full growed man. I had to hurt ‘em bad with my first two shots, one for each of ‘em ‘cause I wuzn’t gonna git no second chance if I missed. Them two men came ridin’ up a few minutes later.

“The nigger gals got away,” said one. “Don’t you know how to tie a knot?”

“I tied ‘em good,” said the other one. “They won’t git far.” That’s when I shot the one farther from me. The rock hit him dead center in his eye socket. He screamed in pain an’ grabbed at his eye which wuz spurtin’ blood. He wuz gonna be blind in that eye if I let him live but I wuzn’t gonna do that.

The nearest galoot pulled his pistol an’ turned to his pardner to see what the fuss wuz ‘bout an’ I loaded up another rock. As soon as he turned around I fired. The stone hit him on the bridge of his nose most likely breakin’ it cuz he screamed too an’ started shootin’ his pistol every which way but I wuz hunkered down an’ he couldn’t see me. The shooting stopped an’ I figured he had to reload so I risked a look from my hidin’ place. His eyes wuz almost swollen shut. He wuz gonna be blinder than his pardner in a few minutes.

The one I hit first finally pulled his pistol an’ started firin’ just to fire an’ he wound up shooting his pardner dead. One down an’ one to go. The last galoot wuz off his horse an’ gropin’ ‘round so I just kept pepperin’ with him with rocks til he went plum loco. He started bawlin’ an’ cursin’ whoever wuz doin’ this to him an’ beggin’ for mercy. Well, I didn’t have no mercy handy an’ kept torturin’ him with rocks I kept shootin’ at ‘im with my slingshot. Finally the galoot turned his pistol on his self an’ that wuz the end of him.

“Thank you,” said a voice behind me which liked to scare me to death. It wuz the colored gal.

“You were supposed to be away from here.”

“Ah sent de girls on,” she replied. “Ah couldn’t leave mah husbin’ no matter what happened.” I wuz akchully glad she wuz there to help. She helped me load her husband’s body into the wagon. I looted the galoots’ bodies an’ then pushed them off the road. The varmints could have ‘em. I noticed a Winchester settin’ in a rifle scabbard. I checked the stock for markins. It wuz Pa’s. I tied their horses to the back of the wagon an’ then drove the wagon to the cabin. Her daughters wuz waitin there.

I got out the shovel an’ dug a grave for the colored man besides my folk’s grave. I don’t think they minded. I smelled cookin’ while I wuz diggin’ an’ I wuz glad for that. It wuz coffee an’ beans from their own supply an’ I throwed in rabbit jerky so it wuz a pretty good supper.

We gathered ‘round the graves an’ they said prayers an’ sang bible songs. It wuz beautiful. They cried some an’ that got me to cryin’ again for Ma an’ Pa. I then fed the horses an’ mules from what wuz left of the swayback’s feed. It wuz a long day an’ I wuz ready to turn in but I saw the women settlin’ down outside. It can git pretty cold at night in Texas so I told ‘em there wuz plenty of room inside. The colored gal looked surprised but she didn’t say nuthin’ agin it. I put all three in my folk’s bed. I lay down in my own bed. That’s the last I remember ’til mornin’.

I finely learned their names the next morning. Hannah wuz her name. The daughters wuz Faith, 13 an’ Hope, 11. Her dead husband’s name wuz Wally. They were on their way to a new life out west but it wuzn’t to be. We talked for a while an’ then I went out to see to the livestock. Then I began to go through the galoots’ saddle bags. I got real interested first thing when I saw wanted posters for the two galoots. They must have had them as keepsakes. I realized I had to git there bodies into town to claim the rewards. They wuz worth $250 each.

I asked Hannah if I could borrow her rig an’ help me git the bodies. She said she wuzn’t ready to go anywheres soon. The two galoot’s faces still looked like their faces on the posters when we loaded them up. I drove the wagon into town an’ the sheriff’s office.

Well, don’t let a body tell you that you bring in a wanted man or his body an’ they just hand you the reward money. I wuz told there wuz sumthin’ called bureaucracy an’ it would take at least two weeks for me to git the money. Well, I didn’t like that at all. I needed the money now. The sheriff wuz sorry for me an’ he took me to the bank an’ vouched that I wuz goin’ to git $500. Well, the bank offered me $450 an’ they would keep the reward money when it come. I thought a $50 fee wuz kinda steep but beggers can’t be choozers so I took the deal. Then the sheriff charged me for the galoots burial costs. I didn’t like that either an’ offered to take the bodies out of town for the varmints to feast on. The sheriff said no an’ that they deserved a burial no matter how bad they wuz in life. My poke wuz gettin’ smaller an’ smaller. I decided to git out of town while the gettin’ wuz good. I bought some feed an’ supplies an’ headed out of there. I didn’t bother to try an’ see my sisters.

When I got home I got a supprise. Hannah an’ her daughters had cleaned the place up. I thought Ma wuz pretty good keepin’ house but Hannah wuz better. After supper I give her some money an’ asked her what her plans wuz. She handed back the money.

“I ain’t got no place to go to now an’ no place to go back to. We might as well stay here if you’ll have us.” I wuz surprised. She wanted to stay here?

“We kin cook, clean, do other chores an’ take care of yo manly needs too.” I wuz surprised again cuz I knowed what she wuz offerin’. My prick got thick in my breeches.

“You ever be with a woman?” I shook my head.

“After tonight, you won’t want no other woman ‘cept me lessin it be Faith or Hope.” I realized I had a harem jest like those Mormons. That night I wuz layin’ twixt Hannah’s legs getting’ my first lessons in fuckin’ a woman. We didn’t pertend like it wuz love. Hannah lost her man an’ she needed another quick like to protect her an’ her daughters, a story as old as mankind. All three women wuz easy on the eyes an’ I had no doubt that I’d be layin’ twixt Faith’s an’ Hope’s legs right soon. I musta seeded Hannah three times before I turned over an’ went to sleep.

A coupla days later I decided to go git the buckboard Mister Kincaid, the rancher that helped us, wuz holdin’ for me. I had the use of Hannah’s wagon but I knowed it’d be better to git mine just in case Hannah changed her mind an’ wanted to leave. I hoped not. I wuz fuckin’ her every night now an’ really enjoyin’ it. I even kissed her once. She smiled an’ kissed me back. I wondered if I wuz getting’ love feelins for her.

I brought out the mule team an’ one of the horses, a beautiful stallion. It come with a Mexican saddle that musta cost a fortune covered with fancy leather an’ silver. I strapped on the hog’s leg I got from one of the men I kilt, a long-barreled single action six shooter. I led the mule team out to the man’s ranch. I expected a friendly greeting but I got anything but that. A group of Mexicans wuz talkin’ to Mister Kincaid an’ when they saw me they all drew their guns an’ pointed them at me.

“You’re going to die,” the oldest of the Mexicans declared. I raised my hands quick like so they wouldn’t shoot me right away.

“Why? What’d I do?”

“You shot my son. That is his horse.” Well, I knowed I wuz goin’ ta die but not before I explained myself.

“I’m sorry that he wuz your son but I ain’t sorry I kilt him. He kilt my folks so I kilt him an’ so like I said I ain’t sorry for that so do your worst.” The Mexican looked right puzzled an’ Mister Kincaid spoke up.

“He can’t be the one you want, Don Diego. I met this boy an’ his sisters miles from where I found your son. They were on foot after their horse died. Suppose you tell us how you got that horse.”

“I jest did. Can I put my hands down?” Well, the Mexicans put away their guns an’ I wuz feelin’ less scared. I told ‘em again what happened but added more to it an’ then of a sudden I wuz a hero. It turned out that one of the galoots had shot his son an’ stole his horse. His son didn’t die but wuz recuperatin’ in the ranch house. Don Diego wuz mighty glad I kilt the galoot that shot his son an’ got the stallion back. He wuz the son’s favorite horse an’ a champion stud besides. They gimme another horse with a western saddle, $100 an’ loaded up my buckboard with more feed an’ supplies. I also made some friends for life. Still, I wuz right sorry to lose that stallion an’ that Mexican saddle.

A month later Hannah told me she missed her monthlies an’ she wuz feelin’ poorly every mornin’. I asked her what that meant. She smiled an’ told me I wuz goin’ to be a daddy.

“Don’t go wastin’ yo seed on me for a while. It ain’t gonna do you no good. You gonna have ta find somebody else.” Faith wuz standin’ near lookin’ down at the ground but I could see her wearin’ a shy smile.

Well, we didn’t waste no time. That night, Hannah switched places with Faith an’ she wuz layin’ neath me just like her mama had. Hannah warned me Faith might bleed her first time so we put an old rag ‘neath her just in case.

“Mama tol’ me you up an’ kissed her a time or two.” I allowed that it had happened.

“Will you kiss me when we do it the first time?”

“I’ll kiss you every time we do it, Faith.” I kissed her then an’ Faith kissed me back.

“If ah gives you a son, can ah name him Wally after mah daddy?”

“If you gimme a son his name will be Wally.” I commenced to fuck her. She shore wuz tighter than her mama but I had just as much pleasure from her body. I seeded her three times before I got tired. Three times seemed to be my limit for any one night.

“Ah loves you, Bill,” whispered Faith after we finished fuckin’ for the night. “Ah wish ah could be yo wife.” I wouldn’t a minded except there seemed to be some people in Texas that said white people an’ colored people shouldn’t wed each other. I didn’t know their reasonin’ but the people who knowed better than me seemed to think it wuz a good thing.

“I’ll always think of you as my wife, Faith.” With that we went to sleep.

I had a mind to add more room to the cabin with the extra money I had. It wuz just one room now an’ I wanted some privacy especially when I wuz fuckin’. There wuz a baby comin’ too an’ maybe more so I wanted to be prepared. I also wanted to make the corral bigger, maybe put up a barn an’ more fences. It wuz still unclaimed land all around us so I’d go ahead an’ claim it. I knowed it wuz big plans but I wuz thinkin’ in years. I drew up some plans an’ showed em to Hannah. She knowed some things about building I didn’t an’ helped me make some changes. I made a list of things I needed to git started an’ took the buckboard into Hand Springs to buy em.

I stopped by Mister Brown’s emporium an’ saw Philomena an’ Beth workin there. We wuz right happy to see each other. Missus Brown wuz there too but she seemed less glad to see me. Beth wuzn’t sayin’ much but since we are twins it seems like we can talk to each other without really talkin’.